Handsome Lonely Florist Man

Revolving Heart

They went to the Han River again that weekend, Hwadu ordered vegetarian curry and rice, and they sipped at cider drinks whilst eating the delicious food. It was a cool day, and Ruby shivered a little, pulling her flimsy white cardigan closer around her small shoulders. Hwadu thought he ought to offer her his jacket, and then overthought it. Upon her second shiver, he pulled it off, and offered it to her. She pulled it on gratefully, the warmth from his body sinking into her bones in a most delightful way. Hwadu was cold now. But it didn't matter. It was like the cold could not reach him when he was in her company.
Their conversation drifted to their careers.
"I never thought I would become a florist," he said. "When I was young. I thought I'd become a businessman, or something like that."
"Well, you do run your own business," she said. "I hate to be the one to tell you, but you are a business man."
Their conversation floated in and out of English and Korean, like the brightness and shadow that overcame them as the clouds moved back and forth in front of the sun.
"I certainly never planned on becoming a social media influencer," she laughed. "Oh, the very thought of it! I always thought I'd be an editor, or a writer, or an archivist, maybe a teacher, you know, something very academic and aesthetic and quiet. And now I make vlogs about reading and travelling - I really never thought it."
"I think it seems interesting," he said, closing his eyes.
"Of course, it is," she said. "It just feels like I could be doing more though."
"They said at that convention that if you mention a book in one of your vlogs it sells out everywhere. They used you as the example of the best way to conduct social media advertising. They called you revolutionary."
She snorted.
"Hardly. There are much greater revolutionaries in the world," she thought for a moment. "Well, perhaps I have good taste, and my followers trust my taste. That's about as far as I'll go in my own pride."
"Nothing wrong with a bit of pride," Hwadu smiled.  The sun was exposed then, and he felt grateful, as the warmth reached his exposed forearms and the back of his neck. It was like summer's eye was winking at him.
"You must have pride, being such an accomplished florist."
He shrugged. "I know when something is beautiful and when it isn't, that's all."
"So we both have good taste, then," Ruby said. She put out her hand and Hwadu looked at it, unsure. He wasn't used to shaking hands. "Let's agree to admit that we both know we have good taste, and that'll be the end of our pride. The very limit of it!"
He took her hand and shook it, nodding, feeling quite the businessman, making some kind of deal. The hot sun burned on the back of his exposed hand, but it seemed to feel warm from Ruby's touch, too. Like photosynthesis, the sunlight unfolding the new green leaves.